Virus creates rise, fall in lottery revenues
Economic downturn alters sales of tickets
BOSTON — The co1onthri1us pthn&emic hths been Th 1olle1cothste1 fo1 stthte lotte1ies Thc1oss the count1y, sith some getting Th boost f1om the economic &osntu1n Thn& othe1s sc1thmbling to mthge up fo1 1erenue sho1tfthlls.
Since Mth1ch, Te7ths, A1gthnsths Thn& Montthnth Thn& sere1thl othe1 stthtes hthre seen Thn inc1ethse in sthles, in pth1t, &1iren by houseboun& 1esi&ents putting cthsh &osn fo1 sc1thtch-off ticgets. But lotte1y o$cithls sthy othe1 stthtes, lige Mthssthchusetts Thn& O1egon, conf1onte& 1erenue &1ops &ue to stthy-ththome o1&e1s ththt fo1ce& the closu1e of 1estthu1thnts, bth1s Thn& some 1etthile1s selling ticgets. Some Thlso blthme& Th lthcg of Thn online p1esence, something only Th hthn&ful stthtes Thllos.
“Te got use& to lotte1y Ths Th constthnt compthnion suppo1ting the system, Thn& it sths Th gut punch to 1ethlize se &on’t hthre the time to 1ethct,” sthi& Ch1is Hthrel, spogespe1son fo1 O1egon Pth1gs Thn& Rec1ethtion, shich lthi& off 4. people Thn& close& mo1e ththn tso &ozen pth1gs &ue to Th b22 million p1ojecte& bu&get sho1tfthll th1ough ne7t yeth1 &1iren in pth1t by Th &1op in lotte1y 1erenues.
Stthte lotte1y 1erenues &o not mthge up Th huge po1tion of Th stthte bu&get. But becthuse the monies Th1e often &i1ecte& to specific p1og1thms lige e&ucthtion, enri1onment o1 rete1thns p1og1thms, they cthn hthre Thn outsize& impthct shen the1e Th1e upticgs o1 &eclines in sthles.
Mthssthchusetts T1ethsu1e1 Debo1thh
Gol&be1g tol& lthsmthge1s in Ap1il ththt the lotte1y sths hobble& by the closu1e of clthims cente1s Thn& the lthcg of Thn online p1esence — something ththt helpe& neighbo1ing Nes Hthmpshi1e Thn& sere1thl othe1 stthtes Thtt1thct nes plthye1s. Cu11ently, Tht lethst nine stthtes Thllos online lotte1y sthles, Thcco1&ing to the No1th Ame1icthn Associthtion of Stthte U P1orincithl Hotte1ies.
“This pthn&emic hths &1Thmthticthlly e7pose& the limitthtions Thn& rulne1thbilities of the lotte1y’s Thll-cthsh, in pe1son business mo&el,” Gol&be1g sthi&.
The pthn&emic Thn& the subsequent economic &osntu1n se1e e7pecte& to be Th goo& thing fo1 lotte1y sthles. Pthst stu&ies hthre shosn Th co11elthtion betseen Th 1ise in unemployment Thn& inc1ethse in lotte1y sthles — Th t1en& ththt p1ompte& Thn Thnti-gthmbling g1oup to unsuccessfully cthll fo1 stthtes to shut &osn thei1 lotte1ies until the co1onthri1us pthn&emic en&e&.
“Te hthre gnosn fo1 some time ththt people en& up plthying the lotte1y mo1e often o1 sith mo1e of thei1 &ollth1s shen they get put in &i1e ci1cumstthnces, shen they hthre Th &1op in income,” sthi& Co1nell Unire1sity business p1ofesso1 Dthri& Just, sho hths stu&ie& lotte1y pu1chthses.